I haven’t baked a single loaf of bread since Autumn’s birth three months ago. And while I wish I’d found time to do some freezer cooking at the end of my pregnancy, I didn’t. So we’ve been eating lots of processed food at our house. And cheap grocery store eggs.
Maybe that’s why Saturday was so much fun. I’d asked Miss Janet, a friend from church, if I could come to her farm to buy some of the fresh eggs she sells. “Of course!” she said quickly, and soon the errand turned into an event for my friend Amy and me and our kids. We got to see Janet’s chickens, horses, cows, her turkey, and her two very sweet dogs. She let the kids gather eggs right out of the hen house and pet the animals. Then we all picked veggies from her garden—squash and purple and yellow beans—and ate lunch together on her porch.
Janet wouldn’t even let me pay her for the eggs. I almost felt like I’d invited us over, but Amy said, “Don’t worry about it. Janet’s just like that. She is so generous.”
That night Adam and I grilled the veggies and I folded a couple of the eggs into a batch of cookies. I mixed the bright orange yokes in with some oats and raw honey and wheat flour, and wow, it felt good to watch my kids eat homemade cookies later instead of goldfish crackers or pretzel sticks.
I’m trying not to feel guilty about all the processed food I’ve given my kids over the past few months. I wish I was one of those all-natural mamas who cooks everything from scratch and avoids the microwave and breastfeeds around the clock and then somehow blogs about it all too. But the truth is I’m still adjusting to my days alone with three little ones and right now I’m proud of myself if I manage to fold one load of laundry.
I think God cares about what we eat and what we feed our kids. But He also tells us not to worry about it. Jesus always brought it back to the main thing: being fed spiritually. Janet shared real food with us (her yummy, organic, fresh food!) and she reminded me how wonderful it is when someone goes out of their way to be kind. It made me wonder, do my kids ever see me showing that sort of concern for others?
I’ll be happy when I have a little more time to spend in my kitchen. One of these days I’m going to bake bread with my kids again and I can’t wait. Maybe we’ll even give it away.
GOOD GOALS GIRL!! You will!! You will find time to do all that. I know what you mean though. I am working hard at trying to fix fresh healthy foods for my family but sometimes I am happy if we eat a full meal all at the table together. I love reading your blog.
Love this, Linnea. Thanks for telling the truth. I know you are a wonderful mama. I was homeschooled for many years and we ate ramen noodles and frozen burritos for most of our lunches… and I’m still alive and well enough to talk about it ;). Take care
-c
hahaha…..our convenient processed foods are the important reason why we ask the Lord to bless our food to nourish our body. ;0) The Lord knows the motives and desires of our hearts, and especially as mothers, we want to do the very best for our family. God blesses each one of us with unique gifts and expressions of His love to those he places in our life. When we live in the full realization of who we are in Him and Him through us, we can’t help but be an inspiration to those around us. There is a delicate balance between being inspired by someone else’s walk in life and comparing ourselves to others while letting it heap guilt and condemnation of who we are. The devil is out to rob/kill/steal our identity/peace/contentment of living in the realization of who God created us to be right now in life. Being a full time mom is a time consuming job, which changes constantly. Rest in the assurance that when the Lord opens the door of opportunity to bless others, it will be done through His extra measure of time/money/energy/grace, without it sacrificing your role as a mother and a wife. You are an inspiration to others Linnea, as a wife, mother, friend, and a woman of God.
Exactly the right perspective, sweet gir!
You are a fabulous Mama, no matter what kind of bread you serve! Your children are happy and healthy and that is all that matters